Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

This is How Russia Plans to Improve and Expand Hmeymim Airbase in Syria

08/12/2016

Russia plans to expand its Hmeymim Air Base in Syria to ensure that its operations run smoothly and to enhance its security by adding extra aprons, building barracks and a hospital, as well as assigning extra space for large transport aircraft, etc., an unnamed source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Izvestiya.

Five Reasons U.S. Aircraft Carriers Are Nearly Impossible To Sink

08/12/2016

Large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are the signature expression of American military power. No other combat system available to U.S. warfighters comes close to delivering so much offensive punch for months at a time without requiring land bases near the action. As a result, the ten carriers in the current fleet are in continuous demand from regional commanders - so much so that extended overseas combat tours are becoming the norm.

Is China Getting Ready to Wage a 'People's War' in the South China Sea?

08/12/2016

Last week China’s defense minister, General Chang Wanquan, implored the nation to ready itself for a “people’s war at sea.” The purpose of such a campaign? To “safeguard sovereignty” after an adverse ruling from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The tribunal upheld the plain meaning of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ruling that Beijing’s claims to “indisputable sovereignty” spanning some 80-90 percent of the South China Sea are bunk.

A close-up look at the F-35A, the Air Force’s next-gen jet

08/12/2016

The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of fifth-generation fighter jets, the F-35A Lightning II, combat ready earlier in August. This remarkably advanced and powerful single-seat, single-engine fighter features advanced situational awareness, stealth, speeds of about 1,200 mph and much, much more— and it’s designed to be capable of a range of missions with just one aircraft.

C295W completes Indian flight trials programme

08/12/2016

Airbus Defence & Space has moved a step closer to securing an Indian contract for 56 C295W medium transports, with in-country flight trials of the type having been completed.

Newest P-8A Poseidon upgrade includes 'Minotaur' software

08/12/2016

The latest contract for Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon includes a new software capability for the US Navy’s aircraft that will automatically correlate data from sources including sea search radars and electromagnetic spectrum sensors.

Beijing Crosses Washington's 'Red Line' in South China Sea

08/12/2016

As Beijing continues its land reclamation projects in the South China Sea, Washington has remained adamant about one island in particular: Scarborough Shoal. Located northeast of the Spratly archipelago, it is claimed by China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and the US has maintained that any attempts to militarize the shoal would cross a "red line."

WATCH: Russian Long-Range Bomber Conducting Airstrike Against Daesh in Raqqa

08/12/2016

The 1.5-minute footage of a Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) long-range bomber carrying out a strike was uploaded to the Ministry’s official Facebook page.

Russia Will Deliver Mi-35 Attack Helicopter Equipment to Peru

08/12/2016

The Russian Helicopters holding signed a contract to deliver aviation equipment the Air Force of Peru’s Mi-35 attack helicopters with transport capabilities, the company said Thursday.

Pyongyang: US to Use B-2 Bombers for Preemptive Nuclear Strike on North Korea

08/12/2016

The United States will use its nuclear-capable bombers, sent earlier to the US Pacific island territory of Guam for the upcoming military drills with South Korea, under its scenario to launch a preemptive nuclear attack on North Korea, the Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency reported.

Orbital ATK to continue Iraqi CLS

08/12/2016

The AC-208 Combat Caravan is a missionized Cessna 208 aircraft supplied to the Iraqi Air Force by the US government. The aircraft is also operated in reconnaissance (RC-208B) and trainer aircraft (TC-208B) variants in Iraq. The contract will see Orbital provide sustained CLS services including maintenance and support training for the modified aircraft fleet. Also included are spare parts, component repair, publication updates, maintenance training and logistics.

Three B-2s and “several” B-1s have deployed to Guam to deter China and North Korea

08/11/2016

On Aug. 9, three B-2 Spirit bombers with the 509th Bomb Wing, have deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, in Guam, to conduct extended deterrence operations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific theater, where China is conducting a pseudomilitary campaign of expansion into the East and South China Seas.

F-22 Experiences Landing Troubles during Exercise at Hill AFB

08/11/2016

An F-22 pilot from Florida is safe after an undisclosed landing mishap Saturday at Hill Air Force Base. Base spokesman Micah Garbarino said an F-22 Raptor based out of Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., experienced "a ground emergency upon landing" at approximately 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6. Garbarino said the pilot, who was visiting Hill for a large scale training exercise, exited the aircraft safely. The pilot did not have to eject from the plane, he said.

U.S. Air Force laments that it’s short of fighter pilots

08/11/2016

The U.S. Air Force faces a shortfall of 700 fighter pilots by the end of the year and as many as 1,000 pilots within a few years, Air Force officials said Wednesday. “It is a crisis,” said Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff. “Air superiority is not an American birthright. It’s actually something you have to fight for and maintain.”

India's Russian-made MiG-29K Fighters Face Problems

08/11/2016

The Indian Navy's primary fighter operating from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya faces operational deficiencies due to defects in engines, airframes and fly-by-wire systems, according to a report by India's autonomous auditor, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). However, Indian Navy officials say the Russian-made MiG-29K remains the best choice available.

Sri Lanka to buy eight multi-role combat aircraft

08/11/2016

Sri Lanka will shortly call proposals to buy at least eight multi-role combat aircraft to replace its ageing fleet used during a civil war which ended in 2009, the bulk of which is now grounded, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said. Though the Sri Lanka Air Force had seven Israeli-made Kafir aircraft on its books only one was now operations, he said.

Seoul sets timeline for indigenous KFX AESA development

08/11/2016

South Korea has set a timeline for the development of an indigenous active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to be use aboard the planned KFX fighter.

Red Flag: Israel to Play in US War Games Alongside Pakistan, UAE

08/11/2016

In preparation for upcoming joint military exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Israel has sent a fleet of fighters and refueling jets to fly alongside US, Pakistani, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) aircraft.

On Alert: Vietnam Deploys Rocket Launchers to South China Sea

08/11/2016

Escalating tensions in an already volatile region, Vietnam appears to have deployed rocket launchers to disputed territories within the South China Sea, well within range of Beijing’s land reclamation projects.

Beijing Installs Supersonic Missiles on South China Sea’s Most Lethal Destroyer

08/11/2016

The upgraded combat features on board the flagship of the South China Sea fleet impress Western defense analysts, as Beijing threatens to aggressively defend the disputed territories.

Russian Carrier Awaits MiG-29s for Syrian Airstrikes

08/10/2016

The Russian navy’s only carrier, the 59,000-metric ton Admiral Kuznetsov, is being modified to enable operations of MiG-29K/KUB strike fighters against targets in Syria. The work is due to be completed within the next few months. During its first combat deployment, the carrier is likely to carry 15 fighters and a dozen Kamov helicopters. The latter may include a few Ka-52K Katran attack prototypes as well as Ka-31 airborne early warning & control rotorcraft.

The F-35 Is Already Killing Some of the Most Lethal Weapons of War in the Sky

08/10/2016

The F-35 Lightning II destroyed an aerial drone off the Coast of California by launching an AIM-9X air-to-air missile over a military test range, demonstrating the first "live" air-to-air kill test for the emerging stealth multi-role fighter. “It's been said you don't really have a fighter until you can actually hit a target and we crossed that threshold with the first air-to-air weapon delivery of an AIM-9X,” U.S. Air Force test pilot, Maj. Raven LeClair, said in a written statement.

Northern Strike 16 begins

08/10/2016

“The magnitude of this exercise — the complex nature of so many moving components — tell a powerful story about the capabilities that exist here in Michigan,” said Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, adjutant general of the Michigan National Guard and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Cockpit camera shows unique perspective of Typhoon jet's award-winning display in UK

08/10/2016

A UK Eurofighter Typhoon, featuring the latest weapons fit, performed a spectacular display for crowds across the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and Farnborough International Air Show, with BAE Systems’ Typhoon Test Pilot Nat Makepeace at the controls.

Enough Air Power? Singapore Drops the F-35 Stealth Fighter

08/10/2016

Singapore is putting on hold plans to procure up to 12 Lockheed-Martin supersonic fifth-generation F-35B stealth multirole fighter jets for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), according to the Pentagon’s F-35 program office, Bloomberg News reports.